'Imran taking keen interest in achieving production target of 15 million bales'

Prime Minister Imran Khan while chairing the meeting on the challenges being faced in cotton sector in the last week of December 18, has asked the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to take measures to achieve the production target of 15 million bales of cotton.
The meeting was also attended by Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam; Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmed Langrial; Secretary National Food Security Dr M Hashim Popalzai and other officials.
In the meeting he directed the official to evolve the strategy to achieve the target of production of 15 million bales of cotton. He also directed the officials that they should ensure that farmers get certified seeds.
Chairman Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum Naseem Usman told that they had presented their recommendations for achieving the target of 15 million bales at that time.
He also said that he still remembers that 12 years back while addressing the seminar on cotton seed in Karachi Jahangir Tareen read the paper in that seminar on increasing the production of cotton. At that time he said that in 2015 we made Cotton Vision and tried to achieve the target of production of 20 million bales of cotton. But unfortunately in 2015 the production of cotton was 9.7 million which is less than 10 million.
Naseem said that the meeting of Federal Agriculture Council was held every year in the months of March and April in Islamabad in which after reviewing the estimate of production of cotton the land for cotton cultivation was allocated and estimation of cotton production in the provinces was done. But unfortunately the production of cotton was much less than the estimation which means that estimation was not done seriously.
During the last four years according to the estimates the production of cotton was 14 million, 14.3 million but 9.7 million and only one time 11 million bales were produced.
In the cotton producing countries there was a difference of 0.3 million to 0.5 million bales between the target and the production but in our country the gap between the production and estimate was huge. The plant of cotton is very sensitive and weather had an impact on it. During the last two years the cotton crop faces acute water shortage. Experts were of the view that estimates of the FAC regarding the production of cotton were not right and the huge difference exists between the production and the estimate.
This year too the FAC has the set the target of production of 15 million bales for the year 2019-20 during the meeting held in the month of April according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. FAC should conduct a survey of the total cultivated area of cotton in the month of June and after that set the real target instead of setting the target on assumptions. Due to setting the target on assumptions there was an uncertainty in the whole sector. Last year the government constituted a committee to prepare the estimate of the cotton production.
According to the estimates of that committee, Pakistan can produce 25 million bales till 2025. All the estimates were based on assumptions the target should be set after conducting the survey of the cultivated land so that it should be easy for the policy makers to make policies.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking special interest in achieving the target of production of 15 million bales. He has directed to provide certified seeds. He also directed to give incentives to the farmers for the achievement of the target. Before that in the past, Pakistan produced 14.9 million bales in 2011-12. If serious steps should be taken production of cotton will be 15 million bales. While appreciating the statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding increase in cotton production All Pakistan Textile Mills Association and Karachi Cotton Association has given fruit full suggestions.
According to the estimates of Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture 15 million cotton bales were produced in the financial year 2011-12.
Chairman Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum Naseem Usman said that at that time the farmers of cotton cultivated areas of Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Badin and other districts of cotton production gave priority to cotton instead of sugar cane and rice due that reason the cotton was cultivated 30 to 40 percent more as compared to 2010-11. It should be clear that in that year as compared to the allocated cultivated land of 7.8 million acres allocated land was 8.8 million to 9 million acres.
Keeping in mind, this year in 2018-19, 7.3 million acres were allocated for cotton cultivation. Per acre yield of cotton in Sindh is 30 to 32 maund per acre while per acre yield in Punjab is 18 to 20 maund per acre. It should be taken seriously. It is suggested that ban should be impose on cultivation of other crops in cotton cultivated areas in Punjab like Sindh.
It is a fact that if we focus on the development of agriculture sector we can achieve self reliance. Cotton is a cash crop of our country and by increasing its production we can fulfill our domestic cotton needs as well as earn foreign exchange by exporting it.
Moreover we can fulfil the needs of our textile industry, edible oil and fodder for animals.
The increase in production of cotton can only be possible if we provide assistance to farmer on every step from sowing to cultivation. Farmers get healthy seed on economical price and get fertilizer on time; ample amount of water and pure pesticides then there is no reason that production target of cotton and other crop should not be achieved. The administration should take care of all these things.
Our country faces a problem that when the production of one crop increases the production of other crop decreases and we have to import that crop to meet our domestic needs.
It should be kept in mind that production of cotton should be increased in such a way that the production of other crops can not suffer. In our agriculture sector there is a lot of potential our farmers are hard working and with some hard work we can turn around. If we construct some small dams and one big dam we can achieve our production target.
The target set by Prime Minister Imran Khan of the production of 15 million bales of cotton can be achieved if federal and provincial agricultural ministries allocate the cultivation land which was allocated in 2011-12.
At present sowing season partially starts in the low lying areas of Sindh while the partial sowing of cotton started in Multan division of Punjab. The relevant departments should work on war footings to increase the production of cotton.